Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to measuring the output characteristics of semiconductor devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to measuring the output characteristics of semiconductors without impacting the temperature of the device.
Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices typically generate heat as they are operated and dissipate power. For example, under some circumstances, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) field effect transistors (FETs) experience heating so that they can be sufficiently hotter than the surrounding environment. This can be referred to as the self-heating effect. Large temperature raises can impact the reliability of the semiconductor device, but can also impact the electrical characteristics of the transistors. Elevated temperatures reduce charge carrier mobility in semiconductor devices, and reduce the threshold voltage of semiconductor devices, such as field effect transistors (FETs), resulting in drain currents, which differ from what would be obtained if they didn't experience self-heating.